This invention relates to a wind deflector for preventing the build-up of snow and ice on the back of snowplow trucks or other vehicles.
Because snowplows tend to travel at considerably slower speeds than other traffic, rear-end collisions are all too common, particularly but not only in blizzard conditions. To combat this, snowplow trucks are commonly equipped with an incredible array of bright flashing lights and reflectors. The vertical back wall of the plow is typically provided with a reflective warning pattern, such as a black and yellow checkerboard pattern. Despite these measures, each year there are a number of accidents, often quite serious, where drivers collide with the rear of the snowplow truck at high speed.
One would think that with the flashing lights and reflective checkerboard, such accidents would not occur. Of course, no matter what measures are taken, there will always be occasional accidents due to causes such as sleepy or intoxicated drivers. However, one problem with the present reflective checkerboard arrangement is that, in practice, the vortices created by the airflow around the moving snowplow truck deposit snow and ice onto the back of the plow, quickly obscuring the checkerboard and frequently obscuring the vehicle tail lights as well. Ice and snow build-ups up to eight inches or more are not unknown. The flashing lights, typically positioned on top of the vehicle, then become the primary warning device. Unfortunately, particularly in blizzard conditions, that may not always be enough to alert following drivers. Even if the drivers do see the flashing lights, problems of depth perception, particularly at night, may result in accidents.
It follows that it is highly desirable to prevent any accumulation of ice or snow on the reflective checkerboard.
The problem of ice and snow build-up in somewhat analogous situations is not unknown. For example, certain models of cars, particularly station wagons, have had problems with dirt and snow accumulation on the rear windows. U.S. Pat. No. 3,059,562 (Sturtevant et al.) shows a simple wind deflector which is mounted on the roof of the station wagon to deflect air downwardly across the rearwardly-angled windshield, to keep it clear from snow, ice and dirt.